Topic: Apple Retail

Like many retailers looking to go green, Apple reportedly plans to phase out its familiar plastic shopping bags in mid-April, with the drawstring design to be replaced by environmentally friendly paper bags made out of recycled materials.

Apple this past weekend opened the doors to one of the first "next-generation" Apple Stores to land stateside, and AppleInsider has exclusive photos of the logo-less facade, custom wooden wall installations and massive 37-foot TV display -- rumored to cost $1.5 million -- that ties everything together.

Prominent, large displays at Apple retail stores have historically been reserved for Apple's own products. But that changed this week for the launch of DJI's new Phantom 4 drone, which has been given prime real estate at Apple Stores.

The majority of people who buy a DJI product are already invested in the Apple ecosystem, and use Apple devices to control, shoot and edit aerial footage from DJI drones, making the new partnership between the two companies a natural fit.

Apple is building on the success of its iPhone upgrade initiative with a new offering that will let anyone trade in an older iPhone, Android device, or Windows Phone handset for a new iPhone and spread the cost over two years.

Scandinavian consumers could soon have a landmark Apple Store to call their own, as the company is reportedly preparing to begin construction on a new flagship location in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm.

Accessory maker Belkin has partnered with Apple to bring its ScreenCare+ Application System to the iPhone maker's retail stores in America, allowing customers to have a screen protector professionally installed.

Apple Stores will soon reportedly adopt two new measures related to the problem of cracked iPhone screens, including allowing some broken iPhones into its Reuse and Recycle trade-in program, and offering installation of purchased screen protectors.

The New York City Landmarks Conservancy announced on Wednesday that the recipient of its 2016 Chairman's Award will be Apple, in recognition of the company's preservation and restoration of notable historic structures in New York City.

Plans are in motion to open a third Apple Store outlet in Turkey, which according to a Thursday report will be located in the upscale Emaar Square shopping mall currently under construction in Istanbul's Asian Side.

Apple Stores saw employee retention rates of 81 percent coming out of 2015, the highest ever recorded according to retail chief Angela Ahrendts, who attributes the statistic to a feeling of connectedness unique to Apple.